Fender, fender shield, and assembly



Nov. 26, 1940. D, H M|| 1 s 2,222,624

FENDER, FENDER SHIELD, AND ASSEMBLY Nav., ze, 1%@ D. H, MILLS 2,222,624

FENDER, FENDER SHIELD, AND ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 9, 1939 3 Shee'f.s-Sheecl2 Patented Nov. 26, 1940 "FENDER, FENDER SHIELD, `ANDy AssEMBL DonaldHoward Mills, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Houdaille-HersheyCorporaticmDetroit, Mich., alcorporation of Michigan Application January9, 1939, Serial No. 249,930

7 claims.

This invention relates to fenders and fender shields and the like, andmoreparticularly to a new and novel fender or other vehicle body parthaving a downwardly depending outer wall for overhanging 'a vehiclewheel, and to a new and novel shield for disposition thereon.

In the vehicle industry, and particularly in the automobile industry,various means have been utilized to improve the appearance of vehiclefenders and the like.y The usual vehicle fender is provided with anopening which affords access to the vehicle wheel, and which permits theready'removal of the wheel in an axial direction. lThis openinginherently presents an unattractive outward appearance, and accordinglydetachable fender shields have been employed to substantiallyI coverthis opening. As the term fender shield shall hereinafter be employed,it refers to any member which is adapted to be secured to a fender orother po-rtion of a vehicle body Afor the purpose of covering theopening in the fender or vehicle body which is provided for access to orremoval of the vehicle wheel. It is also'to be understood that the termfender is used in a broad sense and denotes any part of a vehicle body,whether separate or integral, which includes an outer depending sidewall which overhangs the vehicle wheel.

It is an object ofthe present invention toA provide a novel fender,fender shield, and assembly of the same. Y

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel fender andfender shield assembly which is economical to manufacture and which isrugged and reliable in use.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel'fender or the like having an outer downwardly depending side wall inwhich a wheel access opening is provided,v the marginal portion of thefender defining the opening as it approaches the base edge of the fenderbeing turned back on itself yto provide two opposing neck portions orprojections on the fender.

Another and still further object of this invention is to provide a novelassembly of a vehicle fender having a wheel access opening therein, thetwo lower corners of which are defined by inturned confronting neckportions, and a fender shield supported on said inturned confrontingneck portions The novel features which I believe to be characteristic ofmy invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Myinvention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner ofconstruction,l together with further objects and advantages thereof, maybest be understood by reference kto the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel Al is a front elevational view of a fender and fender shieldassembly illustrating one embodiment of the present invention; Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevational View of the fender shield and aportion of the fender on which it is mounted;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the fender with the Vshieldremoved;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the edge of thefendershield and fender taken between a' pair of adjacent teeth or ngers vonthe fender shield as taken' along the line vIV-'IV of Figure 2; Y

of Figure 2; v

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of a different embodiment of the'present invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the Q0 'locking mechanism astaken along the line V-V Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional viewtaken along the line'VII--VII of Figure 6;

, Figure 8 is la rearA elevational view of a third embodiment of thepresent' invention; and,

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IXof Figure 8.

Referring Vnow to the rst embodiment of the present invention, which isnot necessarily the preferred embodiment, there is illustrated therein avehicle fender l0 of a high-crown type. Mounted on and detachablysecured to the fender l0 is a fender shield Il which is streamlined inshape,

andA designed to harmonize with the vehicle fender l0. As may be seenbest-in Figure 3, the fender lli is provided with a wheel access openingl2, which is of substantially the same shape as the fender shield ll.The edgev portion of the fender l0 around the opening I2 is underturnedor rolled, as at I3 (see Figure 4) In order to fully understand andappreciate the'present invention, it is necessary to bear in mind thatthe usual form of rwheel opening -in a vehicle fender is an openingwhich is substantially semi-circular in shape. A few vehicle fenders ofthe present dayare provided with openings other than semi-circular, suchfor eX- ample as those having a substantially spiral curve, the trailingedge of the opening extending fender of the present invention dilfersfrom all known-structures in that the lower portion of iobliquelydownwardly and rearwardly. The

the fender opening at each end thereof curves back on itself, thusproviding a pair of confronting neck portions I4 and I5 on the fenderI0.

These confronting neck portions or projections 5 I4 and I5 on the fenderI 0 are capable of performing a function which no previously knownfender is capable of; namely, providing. a seat upon which a fendershield may be seated. The neck portions or projections I4 and I5 thuscornprise the sole vertical supporting means for the fender shield I I.

The fender shield II is substantially coextensive with the opening I2.The curved edge of the fender shield II is turned back on itself, as atI6, and then extends rearwardly in a plurality of teeth or cam fingersI'I. Each of the fingers Il is provided with a hump portion I8 which isadapted to be cammed under the underturned edge I3 of the fender I0 andsnap up therebehind, the rear extremity I9 of the fingers I'l being bentobliquely rearwardly and radially inwardly to provide the necessary camsurface to cause the fingers Il to snap under the underturned edge I3when the fender shield I I is forced axially rearwardly against thefender II). In order to eliminate rattling and other noise of vibration,a yieldable cushioning strip formed of any suitable cushioning material,such for example, as rubber, is secured to the inturned or folded backportion IS of the fender shield I I (see Figure 4).

To prevent accidental dislodging of the fender shield II from the fenderI0, a safety latch 2I is provided at one side of the shield, as is shownin Figures 1 and 2. This safety latch 2l comprises a latching arm 22which engages the underturned edge I3 of the fender I0, and an operatingbolt 23 which extends through the fender shield II to the front sidethereof. The operating bolt I I is provided with a hexagonal headportion 24, a circular shank portion 25, and a square shank portion 26upon which the latching arm 22 is mounted. The end of the square shankportion 2S is provided with an enlarged rear end 2l to prevent thelatching arm 22 from coming off. It will be understood that the safetylatch 2I merely augments the securing engagement provided by the fingersI 1, and for that reason may be omitted if desired without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention. To mount the fendershield II on the fender I0, the fender shield II is moved in an axialdirection against the fender I0 until the fingers I1 snap under theunderturned edge I3 which defines the opening I2 in the fender IIJ. Thelatching arm 22 is thereafter rotated by turning the head 24 of theoperating bolt 23 with a lug wrench or the like until the latching arm22 comes into engagement with the underturned edge I3, as shown inFigure 5. To dismount the fender shield I I from the fender I0, thelatching arm 22 of the latch mechanism 2| is rotated out of engagementwith the underturned edge I3 of the fender I0 and the fender shield IIis thereafter snapped out of engagement with the fender I0.

In Figures 6 and '7, I have illustrated a different embodiment of thepresent invention. In this form of the invention, the fender I0 is thesame as that described in connection with the first embodiment of theinvention and the fender shield I I is substantially the same with theexception that the latching mechanism 2l is omitted therefrom and thefingers I'I are omitted along a portion of the top edge. As shown inFigures 6 and 7, an upstanding finger 28 is formed on the fender shieldII along its top edge. More specifically, the finger 28 is formed bybending a portion 29 rearwardly from the inturned portion I6 and thenupwardly as at 30. This finger 28 acts as a safety catch and preventsthe accidental dislodging of the fender shield II from the fender I0when the fender IU is twisted and distorted, such for example as whenthe vehicle is passing over very rough roads. To mount the fender shieldII of the second embodiment of the present invention on the fender I0,the upstanding flnger 28 is hooked under the underturned edge I3 of thefender and the fender shield I I isthen pushed axially rearwardly untilthe fingers I1 are cammed under the underturned edge I3 into tightengagement with the underturned edge I 3.

A third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 8and 9 of the drawings. In this form of the invention, the fender I0 isthe same as that illustrated in the rst embodiment of the invention, butthe fender shield 3| in this case is provided with an outwardly openingchannel 32 over a substantial portion of its curved edge including theleading edge of the fender shield. The shape of the channel-shaped edgeis shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. This channel-shaped edge portion32 extends from a point in close proximity to the lower leading corner(i. e., the corner towards the front of the vehicle) around the curvededge to a point past the middle of the fender. The trailing edge of thefender shield is provided with a plurality of fingers 33 which aresimilar to the fingers I1 described in connection with the firstembodiment of the invention. In this form of the invention, as in theother forms of the invention previously described, the fender shield 3|is seated on the confronting neck portions I4 and l5 of the fender I0.It will be further remembered that the confronting neck portions I4 andI5 comprise the sole vertical support for the fender shield 3|.

To mount the fender shield 3I on the fender I0, the fender s-hield 3| ismoved obliquely upwardly and forwardly of the vehicle under thechannel-shaped portion 32 is seated on the complementary shaped portionof the underturned edge I3. The trailing edge of the fender shield 3I isthen pushed axially rearwardly until the .fingers 33 snap under theunderturned edge I3,

thereby holding the fender shield 3I in firm and tight engagement on thefender I0. To dismount the fender shield 3I the reverse operation iscarried out.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will, ofcourse, be understood, that I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincemany modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by theappended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having an elongated wheel access opening therein, the maximumwidth dimension of the opening being approximately located midwaybetween the top and the bottom of the opening, and a fender shielddisposed on said fender over the opening and having an inturned portionseated on the opening defining edge of said fender.

2. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having an elongated wheel access opening therein, the maximumwidth dimension of the opening being approximately located midwaybetween the top and the bottom of the opening, and a fender shielddisposed on said fender over the opening having an inturned portionseated on the opening defining edge of said fender, said fender shieldbeing vertically supported solely by said seating of said inturnedportion on said opening defining edge.

3. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having an elongated wheel access opening therein, the maximumwidth dimension of the opening being centrally located between the topand the bottom of the opening, and -a fender shield disposed on saidfender over the opening and having an inturned portion seated on theopening defining edge of said fender, said fender shield beingvertically supported solely by said seating of said inturned portion onsaid opening dening edge, and resilient means extending around and inengagement With said fender edge for holding said shield laterally intight engagement with said fender.

4. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having an elongated wheel access opening therein, the maximumwidth dimension of the opening being approximately centrally locatedmidway between the top and bottom of the opening, a fender shielddisposed on said fender over the opening and having a portion of itsedge channel-shaped for nested engagement over the opening defining edgeof said fender, and having a second portion of its edge provided with aplurality of resilient latch fingers -for extension around said openingdefining edge of said fender, said fingers being located with respect tosaid channel-shaped portion to provide a biasing force maintaining saidchannel-shaped portion in tight nested engagement with said openingdening edge of said fender.

5. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having a downwardly depending outer Wall with a wheel accessopening therein, the opening dening edge of said depending wall oneither side of the opening converging in proximity to the base of thefender to provide a fender shield supporting seat, and a fender shieldmounted on said fender over said opening and supported on said seat,said fender shield having a plurality of resilient fingers thereonextending through the opening into engagement with said opening definingedge of said fender.

6. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having a downwardly depending outer wall with a wheel accessopening therein, the opening defining edge of said depending wall oneither side of the opening converging in proximity to the base of saidfender, and a fender shield mounted on said fender over said opening,said fender shield having a plurality of resilient fingers at either endthereof for extension through the opening into engagement with theopening defining edge of said fender, and having an additional positivelatching linger at the top of said shield extending into engagement withsaid fender.

'7. In a fender and fender shield assembly, the combination comprising afender having a downwardly depending outer wall with a Wheel accessopening therein, the opening defining edge of said depending wall oneither side of the opening converging in proximity to the base of saidfender to provide a fender shield supporting seat, and a fender shieldseated on and vertically supported solely by said converging portions ofsaid opening dening edge of said fender.

DONALD HOWARD MILLS.

